THE EDITOR, Sir:I AM concerned about the rightness of suspensions given to students at schools. Suspension is no doubt deserving for students drinking, smuggling drugs, etc. But is it right for the student who is innocent of any such offence?
Perhaps the Ministry of Education should introduce a suspension right "system" into our schools? What seems needed is that the principals, vice principals and teachers intervene more into the matter of indiscipline finding out why students in our schools are doing such things. There must be a story behind everything and there are at least two sides to every story.
For example, a student could be going to school prepared to do school work, and another student attacks him/her for some other matter. The incident leads to the suspension of both students. Nothing is done about the incident but ten days suspension is imposed. This nonsense is going on in our schools and should be stopped.
In some cases, students do not even inform their parents/guardian that they are suspended.
Matters between students cannot be settled if there are not sane rules. There should be rules for suspension and rules that protect the rights of the innocent. Without such rules, innocent students suffer unnecessarily and may be injured or even die because school authorities don't deal with the matter properly.
I am, etc.,
TONIA PRYCE
Aberdeen Dist/P.O., St. Elizabeth
